Zydus ties up Mallinckrodt to market generics in USA

Mumbai: Zydus Cadila's US subsidiary, Zydus Pharmaceuticals (USA) Inc has entered into a strategic alliance with Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals Generics, a business unit of Tyco Healthcare and one of the top ten generics companies in the US. 

Under the terms of the agreement, the generic products will be developed and registered by Zydus Pharmaceuticals and will be manufactured by Zydus Cadila at its US FDA approved manufacturing plant in Ahmedabad, India. Mallinckrodt will market and sell the products under a joint Mallinckrodt-Zypharma label. The agreement between the two companies is for a period of five years and will be extended further by mutual consent.

The $20-billion US generic market is highly competitive and lucrative. By taking advantage of Mallinckrodt's marketing and distribution networks, Zydus Cadila will have extensive reach to key market segments while the US firm can broaden its product portfolio and pipeline, using Zydus' product development and manufacturing strengths.

Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals Generics is the seventh largest generic pharmaceutical company in the US, with nearly 73 million total dispensed prescriptions.

The alliance with Mallinckrodt allows Zydus Cadila to speed up its business plans for the US markets by side stepping the time-consuming process of establishing a marketing network. The group has already received approvals to market Atenolol and Clindamycin from the US FDA.